365 days in a year...and my mission!

Dear family and friends,

Yes, I have officially been on my mission one year! Isn't that crazy? I feel like I just went into the MTC a few months ago...eating Olive Garden and not thinking about the big commitment I was about to make. But I am so glad that I did! Every day is hard but worth it. I really needed the mission because my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was not strong. I had one, but I wasn't confident in it. I still am not the most confident person- I try to testify of Jesus Christ everyday but I am not one who wants to go out crying repentance on rooftops or anything like that. I am grateful for the ability to explain what I believe to others. I couldn't do that before. I am better at recognizing blessings in my life that has come from keeping the commandments and doing the basics. I love the Book of Mormon now and at the beginning of my mission I couldn't say that. I feel the Spirit in my life, directing me and I know that if I pray and ask God a question, he will eventually answer it according to His time and His will. A mission isn't the best two years OF your life, its the best two years FOR your life. I know that is true. 

On to my investigators.  Stephanie. She is so awesome. She came to the Relief Society activity on Tuesday. We learned how to make laundry detergent and received education on couponing. I am not a great coupon-er so it was cool to learn how to save money and the different websites I will most definitely be visiting when I get home to find good deals with coupons. Then she came to Young Women's on Wednesday and it was perfect because they were doing New Beginnings. That's where they introduce the Personal Progress program and how the girls ages 12-18 can strengthen their testimony of the Gospel and their individual worth. Stephanie is excited to start it- she chose to work on Choice and Accountability. We had a lesson with her on Thursday and Sister West came with her daughter. I love the Wests, they are hilarious and kind. They are taking Stephanie right in. She came to church yesterday!!!!! So happy. We got a photo with her but my ipad is being dumb and not sending any pictures... she loved church! 

For my year mark we went to Red Lobster because my wonderful parents got me a gift card there! :) It was yummy- I got coconut shrimp! Just to make you all jealous, especially Allison. ;) 

This week has been more difficult with the weather being cold. I think I was sent to Florida because I am not sure if I would have the motivation to go outside everyday with it being so cold. I am wearing my jackets and scarves and luckily I brought one pair of gloves! People thought I was crazy for taking them to Florida but now I am the one laughing. It is freezing. Not sure how I'll survive in Oregon after the mission... :(

Peggy finally got her hip surgery done this last week so we visited her in the St. Anthony's hospital on Tuesday. I love her, she's the best! 

We had a world-wide missionary zone conference on Wednesday. The missionary department leaders spoke to us and some of the apostles, along with Sister Oscarson. It was good- they went over the fundamentals we learn when we do our 12 week training as new missionaries. I received action items to change from it, including reading the Book of Mormon more with investigators because it is the central source of lasting conversion in people. I know the book is true and that every word is inspired by God. 

This long email made up for my short one last week. I am trying to send pictures but its not working so maybe not this week, I'll keep trying though. I love my family and miss them a ton but I only have so much more time to be a full-time missionary! The Lord is hastening His work, please invite those around you to come to church or over for a family home evening night. 

Love you all,

Sister Morgan

Young Women's group on Sunday and Stephanie came too!

Stephanie and us after YW.

Taylor and us after YW

Cold!

 Much more sun today!

Study time!  Love my companion, Sister Judkins!

My Sisters that came out with me. A picture for our year mark!

Red Lobster for my year mark celebration!

Delicious!

Visiting Peggy in the hospital after hip surgery

Sorry!

No weekly email this week, no time! Its a holiday so the library is closed and we are at the clubhouse. This week has been good but busy. I reach my year mark on Thursday....weird. Our investigator, Stephanie is doing great. Its cold here lately, like 50s and 60s....I have to wear a scarf and coat! ;) Love you all, hope you have a good week. 

Love, Sister Morgan 

 Getting our haircuts by Deyeneira who just moved into our ward and comes out with us on Tuesdays 

 Us and Vilma, a less-active we are teaching

A big fancy house we just knocked...dark but my new haircut

 The back of that fancy house we knocked...

 I felt kind a school girl at a prep school...

 Jimmy Johns!!!!!!!

I skipped the 'formula' and went straight to the 'T-bone'!

Hello,

This will be a short email, but I sent a few videos this week.

That quote is from Peggy, talking about learning about the Gospel, I love her. Yesterday we were privileged to go with her to receive her patriarchal blessing. I am so proud of her. If you don't know what that is, its a special blessing given to someone from God, speaking through the patriarch. It can include blessings, cautions, and admonitions. It was an amazing experience and made me reflect on my own patriarchal blessing. I would encourage those who have theirs to read it this week. It means different things at different points in our lives. I know they are straight from Heavenly Father. 

I will share a short experience from this week.

It was time to switch up where we tracted because we weren't getting anywhere. So we thought it would be fun to go knock the mansions on the bay, because why not? After knocking a few we were discouraged because no one was home (it was the middle of the day) and we had to trek up huge staircases to get to the front doors. In between the houses we could see the beautiful ocean and we wished we could go swimming but we kept on going, being diligent. We knocked on a gorgeous home with a few Christmas lights on it.  A 16 year old girl named Stephanie answered the door. We prayed with her and talked about eternal families and she invited us back. Now we have taught her three lessons and she has committed to being baptized. The first lesson we taught Plan of Salvation because her mom passed away a few years ago. It brought her a lot of peace and comfort to know she will see her mom again. The next time we taught the restoration. She has read the pamphlet we gave her and had questions. We answered them as we taught and invited her to be baptized at the end. She said that that is what she had been waiting for. Then she proceeded to tell us that a few nights before we originally knocked on her door, she had been praying for more peace in her life. Then we knocked on her door and she knew that Heavenly Father sent us to her. It made me want to cry, I was so happy. I had also been praying that we would finally meet someone who was solid, with a true desire to be baptized. Sister Judkins and I have been teaching a ton of people, but no one has been sticking because they get sick or move or just fall off the radar. I have a strong testimony that God answers prayers, that he is listening, and knows each of our situations. He wants us to be happy NOW and in eternity. I know that he has guided us this week to many people who are prepared or being prepared. 

I am grateful to be a missionary. I know that we are happiest when we are working hard, shining our light to others, and bringing people closer to Jesus Christ. 

Love you all,

Sister Morgan

Sister Judkins and I manning a stand at a Lau Festival

It is raining very hard!

Us and Peggy going to receive her Patriarchal Blessing     

 

       

Sister KJ Morgan - St. Petersburg, FL

New Years Resolutions!

Hello everyone,

I bet everyone has something they want to do different this year. As I was trying to think of something I could do now, on a mission, and continue to do when I am home, I had a few ideas. So I am going to tell you all because then I am accountable to it. I want to: finish the Book of Mormon and re-read it (I am currently in 3 Nephi), exercise every day (except Sunday of course), and I want to start writing more in cursive. The last one seems random, I know, but I hate that it's almost a lost art now with them not teaching it in school. I have not-so-good cursive so this is my chance to improve! 

Sorry, not much time this week.

When you are a missionary, you don't do much for New Years Eve...I think we store contacted in the evening because St. Pete is pretty sketchy at night in general, and then we were in bed by 10. Whoop!

We've been busy. We set a goal to teach 7 lessons a day and we were able to meet it Tuesday-Saturday!!!! I taught more lessons this week than I have my whole mission. We saw a lot of miracles from it too. Many people were prepared. Sad thing is that most of them had someone pass away recently and were so thankful for a prayer. There were nights when we needed two more lessons and God just placed people in front of us. 

Transfers have changed a little. We don't find out until Mon nights now (aka tonight) and we leave Tues morning (tomorrow). So I might be transferred, not sure. I've been here since September so its a big possibility. I love Sister Judkins and don't want to leave her. :( The members here are great too and truly care about us. I'll miss Peggy especially if I leave. 

There are a lot of changes that are going to happen this year in the church. The work is hastening, the gospel is going to all the world. I am grateful to be a missionary at this time. I hate change, but I have been learning how to deal with it out here. No growth in a comfort zone, no comfort in a growth zone. No truer statement. Love you all. Stay safe. "O be wise, what can I say more?" 

Love,

Sister Morgan

Sis J and I

 St. Pete zone!

Group mission pic from the Christmas beach party! 

 Look what I found!!!!! Oregon!

Just one of me actually looking nice and not smiling with my mouth open :)

alligator- mom and babies! 

Cute library mailbox! You can come and borrow books and bring it back. We knocked on their door and a sweet woman named Lucy answered and we prayed with her and taught her. :) 

 

It was raining last night!

My crazy district, the best district I've had on my mission! 

HO HO HO...HOpe you remember the Reason for the Season!

Hello everyone,

Sorry there are many pictures being sent this week but maybe that means I can write less. :)

I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ's birth, and that we are able to celebrate it every year in remembrance of Him. I hope your words were kinder, and that your thoughts were outward. It was a great experience to be His missionary during this time of year. People are more open and receptive to hearing a message about him or watching A Savior is Born at christmas.mormon.org. 

Honestly, it didn't feel like Christmas with it being in the 80s and no family around. But it was a great week to spread the Gospel nonetheless. We had many lessons with investigators. One named Missy we tracted into and she invited us over on Christmas Eve to help her wrap gifts! We did and watched Meet the Mormons (which is on netflix and youtube if you haven't seen it, super good). 

On Tuesday Sister Judkins went to the temple so I went on exchanges with the Hermanas, Spanish sisters in Tampa 5. I went to 2 Spanish lessons with them and it was a lot of fun! I am super glad that I got called English speaking though. Heavenly Father knew that I needed to learn the gospel before a language...

Then we had a Christmas Devotional with the whole mission. President and Sister Cusick spoke, encouraging us to find those who are prepared this time of year and to spread the Christmas spirit! They also told some funny experiences from past Christmases. The missionaries leaving the first week of Jan had the opportunity to bear their testimonies as well which was nice. Then they catered chick-fil-a! Yum! I hope those come back to Oregon or I am not sure if I can live there. :) 

We spent Christmas Eve with Peggy, my recent convert, I love her! We basically just searched the scriptures with her to find answers to questions she has. She seriously knows the gospel better than me now but makes me feel so good when she says I taught her everything she knows. I didn't, the spirit did. And her own personal studying. I know I came on a mission to find her. And the Gerovacs of course, I love them so much. 

Christmas was pretty good. We had breakfast at Taylor's and she gave us each stockings! She is a true friend and so caring. Then we drove to South Pasadena to video chat with the family at the Smiths. I loved being able to see my parents and talk with them for a little bit, and then my siblings and nieces and nephews. They are so big now, I hope they will remember me! I love my family. I have been blessed with a good family who supports me in the Gospel and encourages me to be my best. I am glad that I was able to see them then get to work, lucky for me I don't get homesick so it was just a nice experience and I am glad that I get to talk to them three times on my mission. I can't imagine not seeing them at all, thank goodness for google plus video chats :) 

After that we had an appointment with Donna but she ended up finding some anti-Mormon stuff online that shook her and made her rely more on her head and opinions of others, than on her heart and how she felt when talking with us. It makes me so sad when people are so close to finding the Gospel of Jesus Christ and God's plan for them and then turn it away without even giving it an honest chance. I know that this Gospel is true and that Jesus Christ is at the head of this church. People have so many questions and I can promise that they can be answered by praying, reading the Bible and the Book of Mormon, going to church, and following the prophet. I just wish people would hear us out, but everyone has their own agency. 

Well, that is it for me! l love you all and wish you a Happy New Year! 

Love,

Sister Morgan

Pics!

 Hermanas Gibson and Baugh

 Me!

Elder Raloux and Sister Day at Christmas party

 Christmas Eve!

 Christmas at our apartment!

Nice tree topper, all natural!

I got more Christmas cards than I probably will my whole life! 

I got a lot of love!

 

Our bow tree on the wall :)

 Christmas Day!

Christmas Morning at Taylors!

"Taylor Made" stockings!

I got way too much candy, this whole box is full!

 

 Christmas morning

 Tropicana Field stadium

Christmas at the Smiths

View from the Smith's apartment